This is going to be a compilation of oddly specific solutions to problems and questions I come across while modding. The main purpose of this entry is so that when I think "I remember this happened before, and I know I figured it out eventually...", I can actually find the solution again.

But please feel free to share it or suggest additions.

Windows
The ratio between straight and diagonal tiles is 1.5. If you have a straight tiling window mesh, and you want to turn it into a diagonal tiling window mesh, scale it 1.5 in X.

The distortion ratio of straight wallmasks is also 1.5. If you have scaled your diagonal mesh by 1.5, your straight wallmask will fit it without any modifications. You can even repo it.

Milkshape
When importing a GMDC mesh, Milkshape gives the error "ERR: Too many P1 sections for this implementation" This is caused by the mesh having too many groups for the UniMesh importer to handle. To fix this you need to split the mesh into two files and then import them one over the other. The simplest way is to open the mesh in SimPE, select groups in the Groups tab of the GMDC's plugin view, delete some groups, and then export the mesh. Obviously, make note of which ones you deleted so you can then exit without saving, reopen the mesh, delete the other groups and export part 2 of your mesh. After doing this, make sure to save your damn mesh as MS3D next time.

This error can also be caused by ridiculously long resource names - shout-out to trappingEP07LongWavy3t2-tm-trappingep6sideshort3t2-tm-trappingcitysidebraids3t2-tf-trappingxmsims71m2f-tf-xms.flora.meshhair071-tmhairrocker_tslocator_gmdc If this is the cause, just trim the resource name before exporting.

Depending on the item you could probably also export as OBJ and then insert the bone structure from a random EA mesh. This would save repetitive clicking.

Somewhere on MTS there's a post from wes snarking about how he wasn't going to fix that bug because no mesh needed more than 8 groups anyway, but it'd be an awful lot easier to fix transparency issues if people's meshes had more groups.

BHAVs
Error messages which make no sense for the node they were created by - such as "illegal data owner" errors when you're working entirely with literals - are usually caused by junk data in unused operand slots.

Comments 0

Opening the Junkheap

Date Posted: 6th Mar 2011 at 3:31 PM

So I've been plinking at various things of late, and using (either briefly or substantially) others' work in the process. It's always lovely to see a creator who says "Sure! You can use my stuff!" - after all, the more sharing of skills and resources we have, the more amazing CC we'll have. However, even when a creator is nice like that, it can still be a pain to yank the meshes, textures, OBJKs or whatever else you need out of the file; and what if you need the mesh grouped? What if you need the texture layered? I'm sure we've all accidentally saved a WIP as DDS rather than PSD, closed it, and had a small tantrum the next day when we realise we no longer have layers or masks...

My policy is pretty nice, I think. It basically boils down to "Whatever, yo". But the resources I use in modding aren't all that accessible.

So, in the interest of making my work easier to base stuff on, I'm going to start uploading MS3Ds and PSDs, and whatever else is useful, here. Yeah, I know, I'm just asking for someone to rip off my work - whatever, yo. I'd rather my work was stolen three times and used once in an awesome, innovative, properly credited upload somewhere; than have it sit on a download.php being enjoyed by downloaders, but never really helping any modders.

I have... uhm... quite a lot of shit. I mean... work. Yes, that's the word, work - most of which is unfinished. And right now I'm making pyjamas . So the collection will grow slowly - but I hope someone finds some of it useful.
(Also, have fun making fun of my ridiculous group/layer naming...)

So, to get you guys started:

Gravitarse Recliner
Download here.Meshes:Here. To make the armchair and footstool, I just deleted whichever half of the recliner and shadow meshes I didn't need, so no MS3Ds for those. Textures:Here. These are a hell of a thing. I really wish PS had a feature with which you could count the layers in an image... Some of the groups have abbreviated names - "S" means seat, and "B" means back; so "S bottom" is the underside of the seat cushion, "B back" is the back of the chair, and so on. All of those quilted bits are merged copies of an original - which is still in there somewhere - which got its 3D effect through use of the bevel tool (and a great deal of light source tweaking). If you're going to edit this texture, I strongly suggest not changing the global light source, since that will screw a few elements up I'm sure (though most of them don't use global light - I'm sure I missed a few).

I swear, the files for my Grace earrings are coming next, but that mesh still gives me nightmares. Give me time to recover!

Leggings for Girls
Download here.Meshes: EA nude mesh.Textures:Here. bt long.psd is the longer version, bt2.psd is the shorter version. As you've probably already noticed, it's basically just the skintone, de-contrasted a bit, with stitching and folds added over the top. It was my first proper texture though - I'm still proud of it! Feel free to nick the crotch stitching, with which I am particularly pleased.

Halloween Masks
Download here.Meshes:Here. I made these a while ago, so there may be missing comments/bone assignments in those files - I often regroup, save as .simgeom, load up the game and test, then realise I forgot something and fix it without ungrouping. The result, ofc, is that I then undo the fix and the regoup to save the ms3d, which leaves me with a slightly broken ms3d . These meshes use CTU bone ordering.Textures:Here. The masks are included as layers within the main document, and most (?) of them also have the UVMap as a layer in there somewhere too.

Hysterically Retro Dress
Download here.Mesh:Here. I'm not sure what the value of including this mesh is, because, well, it's all one group anyway... but it saves you having to extract and import. This mesh uses CTU bone ordering.Textures:Here. This is one mammoth texture - the PSD is over 11Meg in and of itself, and it has something like 200 layers. It took me weeks. I am so dang proud of it.
The mask is in there, in a separate layer group. It's all fairly well organised, but I do apologise for the "God knows" group. God knows.
The RUFFLES. I HATE RUFFLES. I am going to use those exact ruffles on every single ruffly thing I ever make, because the gorram things took me three fecking days. Please, feel free to use them, it might just save you from going completely bald.
The highest UVMap layer is the most recent version.

Simple Waste Paper Basket
Download here.Mesh:Here. This mesh uses TSRW bone ordering.Textures:Here. I made a bit of a booboo with this one. I seem to have forgotten to save the overlay or the newer versions of the multiplier (bt.dds) as PSD. Sorry. :/ Still, the overlay is pretty dang awesome, so I hope it's useful, even if it is just a DDS.

Musical Earrings
Download here.Meshes:Here. These are a bit ragtag. A couple don't have bone assignments/comments, or are just one earring. I think they are all mapped. All except the note earring share a hook which was bloody tricky to get right; feel free to use/tweak it, saves you trying to bend a cylinder in MS, which is a PITA. These meshes use CTU bone ordering.Textures:Here. I really stuffed these up - I can only find PSDs for two of them. :/ I guess since it was my first ever proper object/CAS upload, I was acting like a dumbshit noob...
The guitar one is also a bit weird - to get it to match the final texture you'll need to Create Layer on the detail layer's effects, then hide the details layer. Might be useful as it is for someone trying to get a good emboss effect, so I've left it in its unfinished state.